A/N: I decided to try my hand at writing something that was kind of dark because I'm one of the least likely people to do it. I spent all of this week writing this, and I realize it's short, but football started this week and I've spent every day from 4-9 at practice. I should be able to write a longer, and better 2nd chapter over the weekend.

Disclaimor: I don't own anything except the idea.

The Darkness That Fills Us

Chapter 1

It had been three weeks since the defeat of Voldemort at Hogwarts. Harry Potter had spent almost all of his time trying to escape the media and hordes of unknown people who swarmed him in the streets. He didn't know how, but every time he left the safety of the Burrow crowds surrounded him. All of this unwanted attention was causing him to become a recluse, spending hours upon end sitting alone in his and Ron's shared room staring out of the window.

At night while laying in bed if he drifted into sleep, the faces of the dead filled his dreams and they all asked him why he couldn't save them. They shrieked and screamed as they were murdered over and over by Voldemort's forces. He would always awake in a cold sweat and he would refuse to go back to sleep, eventually getting to the point where he wouldn't sleep at all. The faces appeared to him in his mind's eye every time he closed his eyes.

He tried his best to hide his problems from everyone knowing that they had all suffered losses also, but they all knew something was wrong. Harry had stopped eating, he looked pale, his eyes hallow. He thought that by acting as if nothing was wrong and by secluding himself he would protect those around him from being affected by his deep depression.

But unknown to Harry, the one he was hurting the most was the one he had always tried so hard to protect. Ginny had become increasingly more upset as Harry completely ignored her. He didn't want to burden her with his problems, not realizing how much she was affected by his behavior.

The Weasleys didn't know how to help Harry, so they tried to act as if he were completely the same. The lack of sleep had made Harry very quick tempered, and he would snap at everyone for the slightest thing. Even poor Ginny wasn't able to escape his anger.

Ginny had been walking up the stairs to her room with a glass of water, when she tripped. The water spilled over the stairs and splashed onto Harry's feet.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Harry exploded. "Can't you even walk?"

Ginny looked at him with her big brown eyes in shock, as tears started falling from her lashes.

Harry immediately felt a wave of guilt. "Ginny, I'm sorry, I-" He didn't get to finish his apology because she had run into her room and slammed the door.

That night Harry silently packed his things into a rucksack. He silently left Ron's room and cast a spell to silence the creaking stairs. He walked down the stairs and as he passed Ginny's room he stopped and looked at it. He opened the door without a sound and looked at the beautiful creature sleeping peacefully. He placed a letter on the pillow next to her. He walked out of her room and out of the Burrow. When Ginny awoke the next morning the first thing she saw was the note. She picked it up and read it:

'I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. I never meant to hurt you. That's why I have to leave; I've caused enough pain and sorrow. I'm going to try to sort this whole thing out, but until I do I can't be near the people I care about. I'll come back someday, and I hope you'll be able to forgive me. Harry.'

Tears streamed down Ginny's cheeks as she ran down to the kitchen where her mother and father were sitting talking quietly. She quickly showed them the letter. They stared at it in disbelief.

"How could he do this?" Ginny cried into her mother's shoulder.

"I'm sure he will come back as soon as he's ready," Mrs. Weasley replied in a pained voice. Harry had been like a son to her and she had already lost Fred.

"What's going on?" Ron asked from the doorway, Hermione standing next to him.

"Harry left," Mr. Weasley replied.

Ron and Hermione looked at him in shock. "Why would Harry leave?" Ron and Hermione asked in perfect unison.

Mr. Weasley handed the letter to them and waited for them to read it. They reread it several times. "I do believe Harry feels responsible for everything that happened," Mr. Weasley said.

"But he couldn't have stopped any of it," Ron protested.

"Ron, this is Harry we are talking about," Hermione said.

Ginny sat listening to their conversation, quietly crying. She couldn't believe that he was gone. She had waited so long for the day when they could be together and now that they could, he had left her. She suddenly felt anger flood through her. How could he leave? Especially now when she needed him so badly. She stood up suddenly.

"Who cares if he felt responsible," Ginny shouted. "He shouldn't have left when we all need him so much. He's just being the stupid git he has always been." With that she stormed out of the room and they heard her bedroom door slam shut.

"Harry better be careful when he comes back," Ron joked half-heartedly trying to lighten the mood. No one laughed. No one even smiled.